The Story of the Military Orders

Prudent caution must be exercised when seeking the truth about the Knights Templar (The poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon) and the Crusades. Due to the Military Order’s power, politics, and mystery, the Knights have a legacy that is one of legend, both true and false. A queasy Catholic may not want to investigate this part of the Church’s history as there are disappointments to be discovered. Nevertheless, knowledge of the times - less modern ignorance and bias - coupled with an understanding of the cultures, players, and history of the Holy Land, will open the inquirer to a magnificent story.

Long before the crusades began, the Knight made his appearance on the continent of Europe. Knights were powerful men and, as was to be expected, some misused the gift of their power to their own advantage. Therefore, secular rulers, at the urging of the Church, established the “Truce of God” among the Knights. This truce marked the birth of chivalry throughout Europe. Chivalry was a code of conduct, a code for military honor and self-restraint. The code encompassed fidelity, prowess, generosity, courtesy, and honor, and ensured the Knight would be a man who would always fight on the side of justice.

One did not simply announce that he was a Knight. When a man reached a certain level of professional success and social status, he discerned to become a Knight. He observed an extended fast which concluded with a night of prayer and vigil before the Blessed Sacrament. The following day, he received Holy Communion and then, in the presence of the Bishop, dedicated his sword to widows and orphans and committed himself to fight, without cessation, the enemies of the Church. He publicly vowed, “Hear, O Savior, our prayers and bless by the hand of Thy Majesty this sword with which your servant desires to be girded in order to be able to defend and protect the churches, widows, orphans, and all the servants of God against the cruelty of pagans, and to be the terror of all those who put temptations in their way.”

When, in 326 A.D., St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, discovered the “True Cross” in Jerusalem, the Holy Land became an irresistible destination for Christian pilgrims who were seeking conversion, reconciliation, and the opportunity to venerate the sacred places important in the life of Jesus Christ. Yet, the conquest of the Holy Land by Muslim invaders in 837 AD brought these holy pilgrimages nearly to an end. History records the stories of many pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land who fell victim to robbers, were attacked by Muslim marauders or kings who required taxes to cross their lands. Moreover, by the beginning of the second millennium, the Muslim advance became a much greater threat to Europe as Muslim armies relentlessly pushed ahead from Africa and the Middle East. The story is a complex one. The Muslim and Christian conflict in the Holy Land and in Europe is a story of great tragedy, personal heroism (on both sides), and, even to our own day, constant struggle. To reach a quick conclusion, it can be argued that the Crusades, as problematic as they may have been, saved Christendom and western civilization from destruction and conquest by Muslim invaders.

The accusation that Knights left Europe to fight in the Holy Land for the purpose of “killing, raping, and plundering” is often leveled against them. But many are unaware that when Pope Urban II called for the first Crusade in 1095, his call was to free the Holy Land as an act of repentance. Men were to “take up the cross,” and, surely, they did. Historians, who are much more balanced today, insist that the crusader was much more motivated by repentance of sin and the glory of God than personal gain or conquest. A favorite story recalls the humility of Duke Godfrey of Lorraine. After fighting with the armies that recaptured Jerusalem, he was offered the throne of the Holy City. He declined and stated, “I will not wear a crown of gold in a city where my Savior wore a crown of thorns.”

For the Crusaders “taking up the cross” in order to defend Christendom typically meant taking up heavy burdens. More often than not, soldiers of the Crusades experienced personal bankruptcy and unimaginable sacrifices, including inevitable hardships for his family back home.

In the face of these uncertainties and enormous odds, Knights began to form military orders that would defend the Holy Land and the pilgrim who walked there. The first of such Orders began when Hugh de Payens, and eight of his companions, swore oaths to protect pilgrims from bandits. From this meager beginning, this small band of brothers eventually became one of the most powerful armies in the Holy Land.

A Templar took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and sealed his vows with the following oath: “I will go across the sea to go to war; I will give assistance against infidel monarchs and princes; in a contest with three foes, I will never flee nor yield.” As a matter of fact, no Knight was allowed to leave the field of battle as long as the battle standard was held aloft – a fact well known about the Knights of Military Orders. They were known, even by Muslims, to be the first into battle and the last to retreat.

The Knights Templar have become the subject of great legend. In their day, they won tremendous victories, suffered humiliating defeats, and more often than not, held fast to their solemn vows as Knights. Eventually, men began to fear their power, envy their wealth, and deplore their secrecy, and trouble began for the Knights Templar. In a disgraceful chapter of French History, King Philip the Fair, filled with greed and paranoid for his own power, sought to suppress the Order. To accomplish this end, accusations of sodomy, blasphemy, and heresy were made against the members of the Order. Arrests were made, confessions were obtained by torture, and eventually many of the Knights (often too illiterate to make an adequate defense) were burnt at the stake. Historians today have largely exonerated the Knights Templar of these allegations.

One might wonder why a group of young Catholic men would take the name “Knights of the Holy Temple” and base their fraternity upon the military orders of the crusades. The answer is clear and simple: the history of the Knights Templar teaches a valuable lesson to men. Just as the Knights of the Middle Ages possessed great power, so, too, do young men possess power today. Their power resides in their youth, their strength, their gifts and skills, and in their minds. The Knights of old were at their best when they readily put their power to the use of the poor, the marginalized, and the Church. But it must be remembered, as soon as a Knight used his power for his own gain, destruction fell upon him. An old maxim states, corruption optimi pessimi or “the corruption of the best is the worst.” Young men today must remember this ancient lesson. When they use what God has given them for others, they will bring glory to God and honor upon themselves. Otherwise, when they use what God has given them for themselves, the glory will never be seen and their legacy will be bleak.

​When the first young men were assembled and embraced the idea of Knighthood, they were often told by their chaplain, “Never underestimate the power you have as young men to witness to Jesus Christ.” May this be the legacy of the Knights of the Holy Temple.

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